Understanding Character: Main

Character of Rainsford
Based on the story of The Most Dangerous Game
Written by Edward H. Jones, JR.
Andry Garcia (11170260000137)
Hana Kapila Natania (11170260000044)
Maulida Samsudin (11170260000016)
Pertama Anniza Putri (11170260000041)
Reivandy Arfian (11170260000055)
Syalwa Fitria Shandy (11170260000002)

5B
ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
2019
 Character Definition

Character is said something about a person;

which it suggest he or she has a strange or eccentric
personality; where it implies his or her moral uprightness;
that it created for a work of fiction. (Gordon & Kuehner,
Fiction: The Elements of the Short Story, p. 95).
Analyzing Main Character: The Most Dangerous
Game

Identify the Main Character: Rainsford

1. Role Character: Major
2. Shape: Round
3. Identified Character: Protagonist
4. Character Movement: Dynamic
- Realistic
- Survivor
- Curious
5. Characterization: Direct and Indirect Characterization
 Rainsford as a Major Character
Major character, as referred in Di Yanni (2004:54),
is an important figure at the center of the story’s action or
theme. It can be involved every in the plot scene, from the
way the character shows up their exists. Based on the story
about, Rainsford can be seen in every plot of the story.
- Plot 1 (opening): Rainsford appeared as best-known or
well experienced person. (Lines 1-20, p. 7)
- Plot 2 (conflict): One of the conflicts between Rainsford
and General Zaroff. (Lines 3-22, p. 21)
- Plot 3 (resolution): Rainsford expects Zaroff that have
been knife by the trap. Instead, Ivan has been knifed,
and Zaroff is still standing. (Lines 36-39, p.26 and lines
1-4, p.27).
 Rainsford as a Round Character
Round character usually bring a surprise to the
reader that it has a three-dimensional traits which the
character is changing due to the plot scene. (Gordon &
Kuehner, from E.M. Forster: 95).
Rainsford is considered as a round character. He is one of
the main characters in The Most Dangerous Game. From
the beginning, Rainsford such a kind of detached,
independent, and self-determined with every decision
takes. However, his character had over-changed due to
difficult situation insisting him, by meeting with General
Zaroff, as his opposite role, to join the game. As a result,
Rainsford become appeared as expedient, confident, and
adaptable, since he accepted Zaroff’s challenges.
- (before he accepted the game; he refuses.) : (Lines 21-26; p. 16)
“I wanted the ideal animal to hunt,” explained the general. “So I said: […] ‘It
must have courage, cunning, and , above all, it must be able to reason.”
“But no animal can reason,” objected Rainsford.
“My dead fellow,” said the general, “there is one that can”
“But you can’t mean----” gasped Rainsford.
[…]
”Thank you, I’m a hunter, not a murderer.”
“[…] …Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I
hunt the of the earth –sailors from tramp ships—lascars, blacks, Chinese,
whites, mongrels—a thorobred horse or hound is worth more than a score
of them.”
“But they are men,” said Rainsford hotly.
“Precisely,” said the general. “that is why I use them. It gives me pleasure.
They can reason, after a fashion. So they are dangerous.”
- (after he accepted the game and finish it at last..) (lines 1-
8, p. 28)
The general sucked in the breath and smiled, “ I congratulate
you,” he said. “You have won the game.”
Rainsford did not smile, “I am still a beast at bay” he said, in a
low, hoarse voice. “Get ready, General Zaroff.”
 Rainsford as a Protagonist

Protagonist is one of main characters that it

generally most developed character in a work of fiction.
(Gordon & Kuehner, p. 96). Since it stated in every
elements of the story, Rainsford is considered as a
protagonist character in the story.
 Rainsford as an Active / a Dynamic character
An active character is one who changes because of what
happens in the plot. (Gordon & Kuehner, p. 97). In certain view,
Rainsford looks like adopt as an Active / dynamic character since it has
much changing depends its plot movement. There are three main form
characters which have a movement through the plot:
 Realistic (p.7, lines 19-22). “Nonsense,” laughed Rainsford. “This hot
weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up
of two classes – the hunters and the hunted. Luckily, you and I are
hunters. Do you think we’ve passed that island yet?
 Survivor. The general was saving him for another day’s sport! The
Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford
knew the full meaning of terror. “I will not lose my nerve. I will not.” (p.
24, lines 7-10).
 Curious. It’s because he heard a gunshot in uninhabited island, so his
approaching the gunshot to find out that he is curious about another
hunter in that island. (p.10, line 4). The effect of his big curiosity
develop a new character as a troubleshooter.
Characterization: Direct Characterization in
the story

Direct characterization is the narrator or a

character summarizes or tells the reader what
another character looks like or what kind of person
she or he is. Direct characterization often occurs
during the exposition since it conveys background
information efficiently, but it can occur throughout
the story. (Gordon & Kuehner, p. 98).
 Rainsford is nyctalopia – a person who cannot see clearly in the
night or in the poor light condition.
“Can’t see it,” remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the
dank tropical night […]. (Lines 7-9, p.6).
 Rainsford is more younger than General Zaroff.
“Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! I assure you I
do not do the thing you suggest. […]”. (Lines 11-15, p. 18).
 Rainsford is a writer. He writes a book about hunting animal.
“I’ve read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, you
see,” explained the man. (Lines 4-5, p. 12).
 Rainsford keeps his harm away. “At bay” means to keep
something away. A beast (usually seen as a metaphor for a
person acting beastly) needs to be kept away.
Rainsford did not smile. “I am still a beast at bay,” he said, in a low,
hoarse voice. (Lines 3-4, p. 28).
Characterization: Indirect Characterization in
the story

In indirect characterization, narrators and

characters describe, without comment, a character’s
appearance or dress. In this way they suggest something
about the character’s personality. A character’s repeated
gesture or a facial tic, for example, may imply a character’s
arrogance or nervousness. (Gordon & Kuehner, p. 98).
In The Most Dangerous Game, there are several actions and speeches
which indicate the readers in knowing the personalities that Rainsford has.

 Rainsford is a strong swimmer

" he stopped he had swum fifty feet"
(p.9 line 4 )
 Rainsford is an idealist, he knows what he does based on his experience
or his idea.
Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but
the truth was a evident as the sun that had by now pushed through the
morning mists, the general was playing with him. the general was saving
him for another day's sport ! the cossack was the cat; he was the mouse.
then it was that rainsford knew the full meaning of terror .
(p. 24 line 5)
 Rainsford always hide his fear and forced himself to be strong.
Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours. “ I must keep
my nerve, I must keep my nerve,” he said through tigh teeth.
(p.22 line 15 )
 Rainsford is sensitive towards the situation around him.
He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding sound of feet on
the soft earth, and the night breeze brought him the parfumeof the general
cigaret. it seemed to Rainsford that the General was coming with unusual
swiftness; he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot.
( p. 25 line 30 )
 Conclusions
O Main Character settings in The Most Dangerous Game
identified Rainsford as a Major character, which involved as
a central of figure and followed by the plots in the story.
Identified as Protagonist, Rainsford become His round-
shaped character extends all the personality traits in
complexity, based on what plots situation happen changed
his decisions. The movement of Rainsford’s take in charge
dynamically, since it depends on the plot movement,
therefore it characterized into several forms which support
his round-shaped traits.
O To indicate Rainsford’s character in the story, by analyzing
in Characterization, it can describes more typical of
personality trait reasons in Rainsford, to suggest something
about the character’s personality indirectly.
 Bibliography
O Jane B. Gordon & Karen Kuehner. 1999. Fiction: The
Elements of the Short Story. Columbus: McGraw-
Hill.
O Di Yanni, Robert. 2004. Literature: Approaches to
Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York: The McGraw-
Hill Companies.
O Jones, Edward H. 1968. Outlines of Literature.
Short Stories, Novels and Poems. New York: The
Macmillan Company.